Growing awareness of the health benefits of cranberries, combined with poor weather conditions, may lead to shortages of the tart red berry this holiday season, reports The Wall Street Journal. “We won’t have any left for Christmas,” Robert Keane, a spokesman for Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, told The Journal.

A cranberry grower in Wareham, Mass., told the newspaper his overall crop is down 30 percent because of poor growing conditions. Overall, growers will produce about seven million barrels of the fruit in the United States and Canada — that’s one million less than a year ago, according to The Journal. The problem is that cranberries, which have a 16-month production cycle, thrive after cold winters and lots of rain. So last winter’s warm temperatures and low rainfall meant a less bountiful cranberry harvest this year.

Compounding the problem is that cranberries are more popular than ever. Cranberry juice has long been a popular home remedy for urinary tract infections. Health experts originally thought the fruit acids in the juice explained the benefit, but more recently, research has shown the berry contains compounds called proanthocyanidins, or PACs, that work against the type of bacteria that cause urinary infections. Importantly, the PACs have even been shown to work against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

And cranberries have five times the antioxidant content of broccoli. Other research has shown that cranberries may protect against cancer and heart disease because they contain phytochemicals that counteract oxidative stress and decrease inflammation, among other effects.

And while cranberry juice and dried cranberry snacks will still be available, prices are expected to rise due to the shortage. If you decide to stock up on fresh cranberries before they run out, the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association advises that you double wrap them in plastic without washing before you freeze them. And when you do decide to use the frozen berries, you’ll get better results if you don’t thaw them first.

Don’t you know that by far largest producer of cranberries for the past twelve years has been Wisconsin? The crop here was great this year again. Most of the cranberries are in the Wisconsin Rapids and Tomah areas are with slightly lesser concentrations in the northern part of the state. Eat all the cranberries you want as there are lots more to come from Tomah, Oakdale, and Warrens. Have a nice Thanksgiving.
Posted by Bigcat

It’s a pity that production of cranberry has dropped because of unfavourable weather condition in certain areas. Let’s hope that the shortfall can be compensated by larger production in other areas. Weather very often causes a headache to farmers. Cranberry is a healthy fruit. This is what I learnt from books. Flavonoids belong to a type of phytochemical that protects our hearts. Cranberry contains a flavonoid called rhamnoside, acting as an antioxidant. Antioxidants help to fend off heart disease by preventing LDLs(bad cholesterol) from becoming ‘bad’ or oxidizing, damaging our artery walls. Besides cranberries, flavonoids can be found in apples, lemon peels, strawberries, broccolis, grape peels, hot peppers, onions(yellow/red), tea(green/black), red wine/beer(keep drinking in moderation: one/two drinks a day), artichokes, beans……a long list.

I would rather do without the potatoes and gravy, the dressing, than to do without cranberries. AND THAT, my friends, is exactly what we did. There were no potatoes in sight, no dressing to leave on the plate, uneaten, as I do yearly.

take a package of cranberries, and frozen apple juice, put them in a pan, heat it up and let the berries pop. cranberry apple relish i make twice a month, simple, nothing but cranberries and apple juice,

Cranberries are a phytochemical powerhouses packed with five times the antioxidant content of broccoli. When compared to 19 other common fruits, cranberries were found to contain the highest level of antioxidants.